It may surprise most people to find out that one of the most common treatments for a variety of cancers is chemotherapy and that it actually has its origins in World Wars I and II. Given that most people consider the treatment of cancer to be a war, then it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

The fantastic science of chemotherapy began because it was noticed that Mustard Gas caused the destruction of fast growing cells. In the average human body, the fastest growing cells are hair follicles, stomach lining, immune system, bone marrow and hair follicles. This serves to explain why Mustard Gas was an effective agent of warfare damage to such major systems of the body would cause obvious illness and death.

After World War II, a number of other chemotherapy agents were developed, all of which operate in basically the same way: attacking and killing growing cells.

As an analogy, suppose you were to tell an exterminator that you have a termite infestation in your home. The exterminator, a profession whom you are entrusting, tells you that the best course of action will be to use a chemical which is known to eat away at both the wood and the foundation of homes, as well as causing irreparable damage to furniture and windows.

But, after all, you really do want to get rid of those termites, right? Basically, the use of chemotherapy is the same type of treatment. Another way to look at it would be using a sledgehammer to open a peanut.

Chemotherapy is, admittedly, effective at reducing tumors because it’s a highly effective and toxic poison. It’s designed to kill cells and it does its job very well. It’s also very effective at hampering the immune system, damaging the gastrointestinal system and, effectively, causing a great deal of damage to the human body.

Chemotherapy treatments are effective at many things, especially at diminishing the quality of life for cancer patients. Chemotherapy treatments also happen to be carcinogenic. Yes, carcinogenic. Remember, a carcinogen is something that has been shown to increase the chances of developing cancer.